The Nature of Love

The Nature of Love is the latest film from Quebec multi-talent Monia Chokri; it was presented in Cannes, where she is a staple presence both behind the camera and in front of it, including in films by fellow countrymen Xavier Dolan and Denys Arcand.

40-something philosophy professor Sophia (Magalie Lépine-Blondeau) prides herself on her education and her intellect. The fact that she and her husband sleep in different beds is a sign of a stable and mature relationship for her. The excitingly unfamiliar simplicity of contractor Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal) attracts her at first, and they promptly start an affair, but once she has left her marriage to be with him, Sophia starts to have doubts.

In essence, The Nature of Love is a tale about the grass that is always greener, and wanting what you can’t have. Perhaps it is a sad reality of human nature that our fickle fascination with the new will always be at war with the desire to stay in our comfort zone, but Chokri chose to tackle this dilemma in a hearty comedy. French audiences were in stitches when the film screened in Cannes, and while some of the humour may be lost in translation, the odd chuckle will be inevitable due to the absurdity of the story’s scenarios.

As impressive as it is to have a signature visual style this early in one’s career, the creepy lurking of the camera worked much better in Chokri’s previous film Babysitter, where it was directly related to the plot and the male characters’ way of interacting with their female counterparts. The Nature of Love is told from Sophia’s perspective, there is no sense of threat to support the sweeping zoom-ins, and the jarring editing choices also don’t further the narrative.

Still, the feature is an amusingly self-aware romantic comedy and certainly a must-see for fans of French-Canadian cinema.

Selina Sondermann

The Nature of Love is released in select cinemas on 5^th July 2024. Watch our interview with the director and star here.

Watche the trailer for The Nature of Love here: